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Sherrow, ReneeLab Software for the Seventies.30 Mar 7011p.; Speech delivered at Regional MeetiAg of theNational Association of Language LaboratoryDirectors on March 20, 1970, Boston, Massachusetts

EDRS Price MF-$0.25 HC-$0.65Individualized Instruction, Instructional Design,Instructional Improvement, *Instructional Materials,Instructional Media, *Instructional ProgramDivisions, Laboratory Procedures, *LanguageInstruction, *Language Laboratories, LanguageLaboratory Equipment, Second Language Learning, TapeRecordings, Teacher Developed Materials, TextbookEvaluation, *Textbook Preparation

ABSTRACTLanguage laboratory practices, as they have

developed during the 1960's, are examined with emphasis on thepotential improvement of laboratory software. Convinced thatweaknesses in the design of materials have led to the misuse anddecline of the language laboratory, as well as to student boredom,the author offers alternative approaches in laboratory scheduling andmaterials design. The electronic classroom, student discipline, teamteaching, laboratory supervision, taped speech speed, textualcriticism, illustrations, tape cassettes, and individualizedinstruction are discussed. The final segment of the paper includes atape script illustrative of the proposed principles. (RL)

U,S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE

OFFICE OF EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE Lab Software for the SeventiesPERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS

STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION by Renee SherrowPOSITION OR POLICY.

Let's install a lab! Nothing can go wrong! It was the decade of the

sixties: a golden era. Language institutes flourished, electronic labs

Cr` sprouted, magnetic tapes proliferated, and Candide-like optimism prevailedteC) throughout the land. Surely, labs could help solve many of the problems

LJUJ facing language educfltors. The sixties, however, often proved to be a

golden error. Language labs caused at least as many problems as they solved,

and teachers discovered, contrary to expectations, that almos", nothing could

go staltt, in lab.

The litany of problems is on'y too well known. First, it is not unusual

to have more students in good working order than there are lab stations in

good working order. Second, many tape programs produce hypnosis more

successfully than they do good language habits. Third, students who are

not comatose in lab are either doing homework for other classes, attacking

their neighbors, or sabotaging the equipment--secure in the knowledge that

the teacher cannot see behind the partitioned booths. It is small wonder, then,

that so many language labs have been abandoned or transformed into highly un-

comfortable and prohibitively expensive teaching classrooms.

In evcluating the successes--and more often the Mures - -of typical language

lab progrars, it seems that part of the problem results from poorly defined

goals. Labs were installed for the wrong reasons.

During the sixties, schools purchased language labs so that real, native

voices could be introduced into the classroom. Assuming that these native voices,

speaking at normal conversation speed, could be understood, a tape recorder in

class is quite sufficient for this purpose. The installation of an entire lab,

however, is nbt justified.

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Language labs were supposed to produce students with near native

pronunciation. The past decade has shown that repetition after native

models does not necessarily guarantee this result. Students do not

always correct their errors assuming first, that they perceive them,

second, that they know how to correct them, and third, that they want

to correct them. A live teacher who can accept or reject student pro-

nunciation and offer indivi:ival guidance is a vital part of a successful

lab program.

Another selling point was that lab tapes would free teachers to

give help to individual students. This is a fallacy. One need not

be a whiz at math to figure out that one teacher facing thirty students

in a thirty-minute lab period has the same amount of time to allot each

individual. as does one teacher facing thirty students in a thirty-minute class

period. In fact, it could be argued that less individualized help is possible

in lab, if one considers the time lost in changing classrooms and putting on tapes.

In the sixties, there was hope that manipulating patterns orally

would teach students to speak fluently. This hope never materialized.

More often than not, students failed to span the enormous gap between

controlled utterances in response to taped cues and unstructured con-

versation in response for personal desire for expression.

In order that labs may fulfill their very real promise, a thorough

re-evaluation is needed of ways in which labs are'currently employed.

It is also necessary to rethink what qualities constitute an effective

tape program. While lab hardware is often impressive, the software of

lab scheduling and lab materials are but primitively developed. These

two areas will be the major concerns of this paper.

In redefining goals for the seventies, two exciting possibilities

are using the lab for individualizing instruction and teaching for mast-

ery. This cannot be accomplished, however, with present scheduling

practices.

Assigning entire classes for twenty to thirty minutes of lab

practice once or twice a week is pedagogically unsound. It is difficult

for teachers to plan around such a fixed schedule which an assembly, a

snow day, or a fire drill can so easily upset. Moreover, in view of the

great number of hours needed to attain some degree of foreign language

proficiency, it is hard to justify alloting the equivalent of one or

more teaching days': out of five for lab practice and review. Finally,

the time lapse between class presentation and lab practice is detrimental

to effecive .Learning.

Some alternative proposals are in order. One possibility is

scheduling students to language lab instead of to study hall. Students

with no free periods can be accommodated before or after regular school

hours. Assignments to be completed in lab and later checked by the

teacher should be part of a student's regular homework. If language

teachers indeed claim to teach all four skills, then it does not make

sense to give homework assignments requiring reading and writing,

but never listening and speaking. It is not resonable to expect

students to develop audio-lingual skills if those skills are not accorded

the same importance as reading and writing.

A second possibility is to equip each language room as an electronic

classroom. This would permit the teacher to use practice tapes when-

ever they fit naturally into the teaching sequence. It would also

eliminate time being lost changing classrooms as well as the time

lapse between presentation and practice of new material.

Both the study hall lab and the electronic classroom lend them-

selves well to individualized instruction. It Mist be noted, however,

that meaningful individualization cannot be accomplished unless additional

personnel are available to reduce the teacher-student ratio.

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Team teaching is a requisite of programs which seriously intend to

individualize instruction. Teacher aids could be in charge of non-

language responsibilities such as checking lab attendance, playing

tapes, and maintaining equipment. Capable undergraduate language

majors, teaching interns, or native speakers residing in the community

might supplement the regular classroom teacher. They could supervise

students in lab, offer extra help to students having difficulty, and

conduct small conversation groups. Highly trained professional language

teachers should be freed from policing corridors and study halls so that

they can teach. Too many years of language study and professional

training go to waste when teachers become clerks and monitors.

In a team teaching situation, the role of the classroom instructor

is broadened. Rather than serving only as a source of information and

knowledge, he is also the coordinator and manager of the individualized

teaching schedule. He decides which activities would be most appropriate

to each learner. Team teaching offers the possibility of adequate lab

supervision.

In order for students to be active in lab, there must be a teacher

active in lab. Supervision is a necessity, for if tape practice consists

of overlearning errors, students actiially suffer more from their lab

experience than they profit from it.

Team teaching can enable part of a class'to work with tapes while

another part practices free conversation in small groups.

The importance of small group work i.e. ten students

or less needs, to be emphasized. Mere oral manipulation of a taped

pattern should not be called speaking. Actually in order for pattern

practice to contribute positively to a student's speaking ability the

patterns must be transferred and used in a relatively unstructured con-

versation setting.

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Co-ordinating a flexible laboratory program with team teaching is but

Lirst step. The most ingenious schedule will accomplish little, if the

lab materials themselves are ineffective. Given the soporific nature of

many commercial tapes it is small wonder, that students and lab practice have

gone the way of oil and water.

Some tapes for beginners present dialogs at a speed so rapid that all but

the most capable students feel lost. Even realistic sound effects and musical

interludes fail to maintain interest in what simply cannot be understood. Sink

or-swim natural speed on beginning tapes cannot be justified since too many

students opt for the first alternative.

A rule which has traditionally governed the use of lab tapes has

been "Students should practice in lab only-material which has previously

been taught in class." What better formula can possibly be prescribed

for guaranteed instant boredom? While it is adviseable that new material be

taught only by a real, live teacher, lab tapes need not--and indeed

should not--consist solely of the sawe material presented in class. Rather,

lab tapes should vary and recombine the structure and vocabulary taught in

class.

Not only would new and different exercises add interest to lab practice, they

would also develop the students' ability to comprehend and speak in semi-

familiar language contexts. It would accustom them to .applying their

knowledge to new situations. They would actually have to think4,-a startling,

revolutionary innovation after an era of bored, mechanistic parrotting.

The rule that lab should be used for overlearning has also had a

pernicious influence on some textbooks. It has created a tail-wagging-the-

dog situation in which some textbooks consist merely of tape scripts glorified

by pictures, homework exercises, and grammar explanations. The function of

a text is to present new material clearly. The function of tapes is to apply

this material in new situations. These two disparate functions should not

logically be fulfilled by the same material for this is detrimental to language

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learning. For example, students will not develop auditory skill if they

merely read the answers to tape drills in their textbooks. Tapes should

not be used with textbooks. They should be coordinated with workbdokb.

Happily, some progress has been made in this direction. Some new workbooks

provide answer grids for sound discrimination and listening comprehension

exercises. More, however, needs to be accomplished in this area. Workbooks

could also be useful for fill-in-the blank spelling and dictation practice.

Workbook pictures could serve as the basis for answering tape questions.

Pictures can provide a real, meaningful context to which students can refer.

This is infinitely preferable to having students manipulate abstract patterns

according to arbitrary directions.

Though a basic tenet of language methodology prescribes a variety

of activities during a forty-minute class session, this principle has been

grossly ignored on professionally prepared tapes. A tape presentation can,

however, with a little imagination, offer numerous varied activities: sound

discrimination exercises, listening comprehension drills, pattern practice

within meaningful contexts, questions to answer based on workbook pictures,

dialogs with questions afterwards, and spelling or dictation practice. It

is important to provide students with opportunities to write in lab, so as

to relieve the ronotony of constant listening and speaking.

One possibility which has not been sufficiently; developed is having

the tape speaker review briefly the principles which the student will need

in order to complete the exercises successfully. There might be a brief

review of structure rules or the students' attention might be directed to

the correct pronunciation of difficult sounds. In addition to adding variety

to* the tape program, this predrill explanation is an effective teaching device

since it comes at a pedagogical moment of grace when the student is unusually

receptive to instruction.

Looking beyond language lab tapes as they are known today, tape

cassettes seem to offer unique opportunities for future attempts at

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individualizing instruction and teaching for mastery. Conceivably,

the tape progxam for each unit could be recorded on ten-minute cassettes.

When students complete one segment, they can elect to hear it again or to

go on to the next segment. Under this system, whole classes need no longer

be locked into following one tape at one speed. The flexibility of tape

cassettes would permit students to proceed at their own pace. A student

need not advance to the next step before he has mastered the one before it.

In addition to tck,a.lr greater flexibility, cassettes have the advantage

of being simple, idiot-proof, and nearly indestructible. Furthermore, the

few seconds which may elapse between the playing of successive cartridges

can give students a needed chance to relax so that they will maintain their

attention on subsequent exercises.

The following is a tape script which illustrates some of the principles

already mentioned.

Activity I. Listening. Turn tc page 25 in your workbook. You have

learned 3 irregular verbs: 1km, to be, ailat, to go, and avoir to have.

Can you tell which verb you hear in a sentence? For example, "Ils sont

en classe," means, "They are in class." "Ils vont en classe," means, "they

are going to class." Ils ont une classe," means "they have a class." Small

sound differences can make big differences of meaning in French. You

will hear 3 sentences. Each one will be repeated twice. Check if the

verb you hear is a form of6etr,c;, aller, or avoir. Commencons.

1. Elles sont au restaurant pre's de.l'gcole.etre.

2. Le jeudi, ils ne vont jamais au musge.aller.

3. Ils ont un restaurant pras d'ici. avoir.

Activity II. Listening and Speaking. You will hear people tell you

where they live or where they work. Can you guess if their nationality is French,

American, or Canadian. Use a masculine adjective if the speaker is a man and a

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femine adjective if the speaker is a woman. For example, you hear, "Vhabite

Paris." You answer, "Vous gtes franaise," because you heard a woman from

Paris talking. You will hear each item twice. Commen9ons. Ecoutez et repondez.

1. Nous habitons Quebec et nous parlor's toujours fran9ais. Nous habitons

Quebec et nous parlons toujours francais. "Vous eAtes canadiennes.

"Vous e'tes canadiennes.

2. Je travaille pour M. Durand, 77 rue Coty, '36, Fort-de-France. Je

travaille pour M. Durand, 77 rue Coty, rport-de-France. "Vous gtes franFais.

"Vous eites fran9ais.

3. J'habite New York et je travaille a Wall Street. J'habite New York

et je travaille a.` Wall Street. "Vous 'tes am6icair,e. "Vous gtes ameicaine.

Activity III. Speaking. Pretend you are interviewing a friend for

the school newspaper. As you write down the information she gives you, repeat

what she says to make sure the facts are right. For example, you hear,

v"Il y a cinq personnes dans to famille." You will hear each item twice.

Commenions. Ecoutez et rePondez.

1. Mes amies et moi, nous aimons le fran9ais. Mes amies et moi, nous

aimons le francais. [Tes amies et toi, vous airnez le fran9ais. "Tes amies

et toi, vous aimez le francais.

2. Ma mere et Mon pare parlent franFais a la maison. Ma mare et non

pere parlent franliais a la maison. "Ta mere et ton pere parlent francais

\va la maison. "Ta mare et ton pdgre parlent franFais a la maison.

3. Je vais en France avec mon amie HelAe. Je vais en France avec

mon amie Helene. "Tu vas en France avec ton amie Helene. "Tu vas en France

avec ton amie Helene.

Activity IV. Speaking. Turn to page 26 in your workbook. Mr. Durand

is visiting a friend he has not seen in may years. He enjoys showing him wallet

pictures of his two sons, his daughter, and his house.-Pretend you are Mr.

Durand and explain the pictures in your workbook in response to your friend's

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questions. For example, your friend asks, "Qui est-ce?" You answer, "C'est

ma famille." You will hear each question twice. Commencons. Ecoutez et

repondez.

1. Qui sont les deux garpns? Qui sont les deux gar9ons? "Ce sont mes

fils. "Ce sont mes fils.

2. Et la jolie jeune fille? Et la jolie jeune fille? "C'est ma fille.

"C'est ma fille.

3. Qu'est-ce que c'est? Qu'est-ce que c'est? "C'est ma maison.

#C'est ma maison.

Activity V. Conversations and questions. You will hear a brief con-

versation, some questions afterwards, then the conversation a second time.

Some words you hear may be unfamiliar to you. Try to guess what they mean.

Even if they are too hard, do not be upset. You should still understand

enough to answer the questions. Commen5ons. Ecoutez:

Marianne is not anxious to tell Andre where she lives.

Andre: Ou est-ce cive tu habites, Marianne?

Marianne: J'habite Paris.

Andre: Bien sur, mais quelle rue est-ce que tu habites?

Marianne: (pause) Euh...rue Laporte.

Andre: Rue Laporte? Magnifique: C'est prh d'ici. Et Zquel numro est-ce

que tu habites?

Marianne: (mumbles)

Andre: Comment?

Marianne: (sigh) au cent cinq.

Questions. Ecoutez.

1. Quelle ville est-ce que Marianne habite?

2. Quelle rue est-ce qu'elle habite?

3. A quol nu4ro habite-t-elle?

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In conclusion, it should,be empha9ized that in spite of the things

which went wrong in the sixties, language laboratories can play a vital role

in the language curriculum. If sophisticated hardware--equipment--can be

coupled with sophisticated software-- intelligent scheduling and interesting

tapes--then there is indeed great potential in employing the language lab

as a means for individualizing instruction and teaching for mastery. In

the seventies, let us continue our lab programs. Thi, time let us make

things go right:

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avoir

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